Places of worship may resume services upon approval by local authorities. The Ministry of Local Government will issue detailed guidelines, the cabinet meeting directed on Wednesday, July 15.

The decision comes following weeks of preparations that were given to churches and places of worship. Preparations included putting in place infrastructure that will allow fighting COVID-19 as they resume, putting in place trained COVID-19 volunteers, required social distancing among others.

Already, representatives from local government institutions have started to visit some worship places to ascertain the progress.

Those that are ready may be allowed before the others.

The cabinet meeting also maintained several other services that are already open.

Among others, public and private businesses will continue to operate, with only essential staff going to work from office, while others continue to work from home.

Domestic and international tourism will also continue, and, according to the previous communique, all flights to/from Rwanda will resume on August 1.

Hotels services were also maintained, and encouraged to promote tourism.

Noncontact outdoor sports will continue, but the gyms will remain closed.

Motos will also continue to carry passengers in accordance with the hygiene measures, except in areas under lockdown.

Movement within sectors of Rusizi district that have been under lockdown for one month and a half have resumed but travel to Rusizi from other parts of the country is still prohibited, except for cargo and all transport of goods.

Some cells of Nyamagabe and Nyamasheke that were recently headed to lockdown will however remain in lockdown and the same applies to some cells in Kicukiro district.

Civil marriage service was also maintained with the same number of participants allowed being 15.

The funeral services at church will also allow a maximum of 30 people and so are other burial gatherings.

Meanwhile, borders remain closed except for cargo and returning Rwandans and legal residents who are allowed to come in and to spend a mandatory 14 days of in quarantine at their own cost.

Schools will open in September as earlier scheduled, while gaming, mass gathering in public and homes are still prohibited.

All bars remain closed.

The cabinet encouraged the general public and service providers to embrace digital payments to avoid contact of cash which may put people at risk of contracting COVID-19.

Movements are still restricted between 9 PM and 5 AM and wearing a face mask is mandatory.

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